Smoker&#39;s ash receptacle



Aug. 18, 1953 D. s. HARWOOD 2,649,222

SMOKERS ASH RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

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Filed Dec. 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor fiUl/HAS STlggRT HARM 00D MWM Auome Patented Aug. 18, 1953 SMOKERS ASH RECEPTACLE Douglas Stuart Harwood, Hillside, Birkdale, England Application December 20, 1950, Serial No. 201,725 In Great Britain February 9, 1950 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to smokers ash receptacles, and has forits object to provide a receptacle of simple and therefore inexpensive, construction, whereby the extinguishing and disposal of smouldering tobacco and tobacco ash is facilitated.

A smokers ash receptacle, according to my invention, comprises a container having an opening formed in its upper portion, and a downwardly displaceable and tiltable (in any direction) member of domed, conical, or other suitable downwardly sloping configuration which normally closes the opening, and said closure member being supported within the container by spring means whereby a substantially airtight connection is maintained between the closure and the rim of said opening.

In a preferred construction of my receptacle, its rim is provided with an inwardly and downwardly directed lip or flange the under surface or edge whereof is adapted to form a seating for said closure member; and a number of radial grooves or channels, or radiused supporting plates, for the reception of cigarettes, or the like, are provided on said rim which is of a depth enabling it, in conjunction with the abutting closure member, to be used as a conventional ash-tray.

Said closure member may be formed or provided with a knob, or the like, whereby its displacement against the resistance of its spring supporting means is facilitated to permit ash and burning or smouldering tobacco, matches or the like, deposited on said closure, to be precipitated from its downwardly curved or sloping sides into the container. When the closure is permitted to reseat itself against the underside of the containers rim, ingress of air to the container is prevented, or substantially so, and the burning or smouldering tobacco is quickly extinguished without necessity for it to be handled by a smokerwith consequential soiling of the hands or fingers-and without any unpleasant and prolonged srnouldering of the tobacco.

I will further describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings which illustrate, by way of example only, and not of limitation, two modes of embodiment.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a smokers ash receptacle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken as on line A--A Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view, as in Fig. 3, of a modified ash receptacle.

Referring now to said drawings, a, b, denote,

respectively, upper and lower separable container components, upper component a having a peripheral rim 0 formed with a number of spacedapart radial grooves 11 for the reception of cigarettes, or the like. The edge e of an inturned lip or flange e of rim 0 is adapted to form a seating for a closure member 1 of conical configuration, and which is supported and normally held in abutment with edge e by means of a rod g slidably located in a sleeve h formed integrally with container base I). Said rod g has screwed onto its upper extremity a hemispherical head 7' which engages with a correspondingly configurated recess formed in the underside of closure member 1, and is spring influenced by means of a helical compression spring I. The lower end of rod g is flanged as at m, said flange cooperating with a shoulder it formed internally of sleeve h to prevent dissociation of said rod from the container base b.

'Upper and lower components a, b of said container may be connected by means of cooperating screwthreads, as a N, to permit separation of components a, b for emptying and/or cleaning.

A knob 0-with grooves o in radial alignment with grooves d of rim c-is provided on closure f to facilitate the depression of same by hand when discharge of ash, matches, and the like, from said closure into the container is desired.

In use, tobacco ash, cigarette ends, matches, and the like, may be deposited on closure ,1 as in a conventional ash tray, and when said closure is depressed by hand all the deposited matter is precipitated within the container. When-after actuation-closure f is permitted, under the influence of spring Z, to reseat itself against edge e of rim e, ingress of air to the container is wholly or largely prevented and consequently any burning or smouldering tobacco is quickly and automatically extinguished, without unpleasant and prolonged smouldering. To empty the contents of the container it is only necessary to dissociate the container components a, and b, when ash and the like may be'emptied therefrom for disposal as desired. It is to be noted that, owing to thein efiectuniversal form of connection between closure f and the head a of rod 9, said closure may be depressed and tilted in any direction to facilitate the precipitation of ash and cigarette-ends into the container; and further, said universal connection ensures that an airtight seating of closure f is automatically made when pressure is removed from knob o. Flanged rim e may, of course, be formed integrally with the container, or be adapted for fitment thereto as by appropriate screw threading of the cooperating parts, and the spring supporting means container f is adapted to be secured to and readily released from said closure by co operating screw threads I formed on an annularridge or flange f of said closure and the periphery of said container 1. In order that the universal movement of said closure is in noway restricted a central opening is formed in said container and a conical sleeve is secured to the latter, the upper edge I whereof, is, when the container is secured to said closure, adapted to seat, in more or less air-tight manner, against the underside of said closure. Container f is intended to receive ashvia the provided'perforations f -de'posited on the closure but not the smouldering tobacco remains which are precipitated Within the main container at, b, to be extinguished as hereinbefore described.

In an alternative form of embodiment said closure may comprise a more or less fiat plate with a chamfered periphery adapted to engage the flange e of the container, and, removably supported by said plate, is a perforate domed or equivalent member. The curved or sloping sides of the dome eifect disposition of tobacco remains within the container ondepressing said closure, and fine ash falls through the perforations of the dome onto the "plate below. Said domed member may be spaced from its supporting plate, or have a pluralityof "apertures formed around its periphery, to facilitate the removal of ash therefrom.

Ash receptacles constructed in accordance with my invention may with advantage be readily adapted for fitment and-use in cinemas, theatres, omnibuses, trains, and like places, and may be of any required configuration and of any suitable material Without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A smokers ash'receptacle comprising a con-- tainer having detachable upper and lower sections being connected together by interengaging screw threadedportions, said upper section having an opening provided in the top thereof, a conical member positioned Within said container for closing said opening, a sleeve formed integrally through the base of said container lower section and having a shoulder provided in the bore thereof, a rod 'slidably'mounted through said sleeve and having a threaded upper end portion, said rod having a flange provided at the lower end thereof for engaging said sleeve shoulder for limiting the upward movement of said rod, a hemi-spherical head having a threaded recess in threadedengagementwith said rod threaded end portion, a helical spring positioned around said rod and between said head and said sleeve, said closure member having a recess provided in the underside thereof for "slidably receiving said head therein whereby said closure is downwardly displaceable by hand against'the influence of said spring and-tiltable in any direction on said rod.

2. A smokers'ash receptacle comprising a cup shaped container having a threaded inner edge portion, an inverted cup shaped closure having a threaded outer edge 'portion'inthreaded engagement with said container, said closure having an opening provided in the top thereof, said closure further havin an annular flange formed therewith extending downwardly from the edge thereof defining said opening, a conical member positioned within said 'cpntainerifo'r bearing against said flange and extending thereacross, a sleeve formed integrally with and extending up- 'wardly from the inner bottom of said container, said container having a recess provided through the bottom thereof into said sleeve and commu-- meeting with and being of greater width than the bore of said sleeve, a rod slidably mounted through said sleeve bore and container recess, said rod having a flange provided on the lower end thereof for slidin in said container recess, a 'hemi-spherical head detachably mounted on the upper end of said rod, a helical spring positioned around said rod between said head and the top of said-sleeve, and said conical member being loosely and detachably mounted on-said head for tilting in any direction-thereon and normally being held in airtight abutment against the lower edge of said flange.

3. A smokers ash receptacle comprising, a container having an opening formed in the upper portion, a member with-downwardly slopingsides for closing sa-idopening, a subsidiary container detachably secured to the underside of said closure member and closed from themain container but communicating with the upper. surface of said closure by a number of perforations formed in the latter, a spring influenced support for said closure member, and aconnection between said spring support and closure member whereby the latter is downwardly displaceable 1 and tiltable in any direction.

4. A smokers ash receptacle comprising, a container formed in two parts andconnected-by co-operating screw threadedportions, an opening in the upper portion of said'container, provided with a downwardly directed flange a member with downwardly sloping sides for closing said opening, a subsidiarycontainer detachably securedto the underside of said closure member and closed fromthe main container-but communicating with the-upper surface of said closure member by 'anumber 'of perforations formed'in'the latterfa rod 'slidably located in a sleeve formed in the 'base'of said container and having a hemi-spheric'al head, a helical spring disposed around said rod'between said-headand sleeve, a recess'formed in "the underside of said closure wherewith the-head of saidrod engages and whereby the closure is'normally held=in"-substantially air-tight abutment with the lower edge of the containers opening.

7 DOUGLAS sTU'AeT-nARwooD.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,574,5 9 Oppenhamer Feb.23,1926 1,393,704 Hyatt Jan. 10, 1933 2,011,619 Dufour Aug. 20, 1 935 2,019,227 Jasper Oct; 29,1935 2,410,606 Michyeta Nov. 5, 1946 2,460,444 Bering Febll, 1949 2,505,351 Dickson Apr. 25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 355,700 Germany July- 1, 1922 735,284 France' l l Au -23,1932 

